Seven Days
by ACuckoo
Summary: Donnie agrees to Leo's strange request to date him for seven days in order to make Raph jealous. Once the week is up they'll break up with the hope that Leo and Raph will get together, but emotions run high and confusion about feelings and love settle in quickly. A lot can happen in seven days... [Leo/Donnie, Leo/Raph, lemon]
1. Monday: Meaning of Love?

**_Hello, everyone. So here it is. My first TMNT fanfic on this site. I usually post on DA (under the same username). I just want to take a moment out to dedicate this story to my friend, Lolita Queen. She's an amazing person and literally came into my life because of TMNT. We have these turtles and our OTP to thank for the start of our friendship, but it was the two of us who kept it going. I'm excited to present this story not only to her, but for her. Read her fics too!_**

 ** _In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my story._**

* * *

 _When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain._

 _-Mark Twain_

There were several reasons why this would never work. Countless. Each one flashed through Donnie's mind one by one, but he didn't bother stating them. He could tell from the look on Leo's face that he didn't want to hear anything against this ridiculous idea of his. It was clear that he wouldn't listen or accept anything other than total support. So instead of wasting his breath trying to convince his older brother that his idea was one of the worst he had ever heard, Donnie decided to go with a different approach.

"So you're using me?"

It was easy to make Leo feel guilty and Donnie couldn't help but feel a small bit of satisfaction as his brother shifted uncomfortably in front of him. He even had the decency to blush and cast his eyes towards the ground. It was rare to see the leader show something akin to regret or shame, and Donnie loved watching every moment of it. He leaned back in his chair while Leo stood in front of his desk, like a student in front of his principal, and found the courage to respond.

"It's not like that."

"You want to pretend to date me for seven days in order to make Raph jealous so he'll notice you more and maybe possibly fall in love with you and then you magically pick him over me leaving me behind in the memories of our seven days of lust and love and fantasy."

"Okay that's really dramatic, Donnie!"

"But is it wrong?"

Seeing the guilt etch itself in Leo's face would never, ever stop being satisfying to Donnie. Leo quickly backed down as he tried to think of a noble response, but of course one wouldn't come to him. It wasn't possible to be noble in this situation. He could only be honest.

"I suppose… I am using you. I'm sorry, Donnie, I just…."

Donnie sighed as Leo drifted off. That guilty face was replaced with sadness and now it was Donnie's turn to feel guilty. "People do crazy things when they're in love. I knew you had a thing for Raph, but I didn't know you loved him this much."

"I do. I really do. I just want him to notice me. To see me as more than just a brother and a leader."

"But Leo, have you ever considered that maybe he doesn't feel the same? And that he never will?" Perhaps it was harsh to destroy Leo's dreams so quickly and so bluntly, but Donnie thought it was worse that Leo even thought he could force someone to love him out of jealousy and spite. It was important that Donnie tell him everything he was thinking no matter how much it hurt. Out of all of his brothers he considered himself the only proper realist of the group. He could handle the truth of any situation right to his face and accept it as fact, whereas his brothers denied the truth, ignored it, hid from it, whatever they could do to pretend reality was fiction. There were times when Donnie had his moments where he pretended the sky was green and the grass was blue, but for the most part he accepted reality for what it was: harsh, cold, mean, uncaring, lonely, and filled with people ready to use one another for personal gain.

Though Leo stayed silent at Donnie's words and that was how he knew how badly they hurt him. Donnie liked to think he knew his brothers in and out and he knew that when Leo was stunned silent it was because something bothered him greatly. The leader just stared at the genius turtle, his lip quivering slightly as he waited for the other to continue speaking. Donnie personally wanted to hear what Leo had to say to his harsh, hurtful words, but Leo refused to speak and Donnie knew he wouldn't.

"Not that I blame you for doing this," Donnie muttered, fiddling with a pen if only to keep himself from paying attention Leo's cold stare. "Everyone wants love and everyone will do whatever they can to get it."

Leo continued to remain silent as Donnie drummed his fingers on his desk, contemplating this insane idea. For Leo it was his last and only chance to get Raph to notice him. Raph was a tempted man, but he was tempted for things that had nothing to do with the eldest turtle. If Leo could only get his attention, then he knew he could sway him to fall in love with him.

"You're really arrogant, you know that Leo?"

"What?"

Donnie finally met Leo's steel gaze with a fiery glare of his own. He was having fun making his normally composed older brother squirm. "To think that it'll only take seven days to make someone fall in love with you. To even think you have the capabilities of making someone fall in love with you. To use your younger brother in your nefarious schemes and think I won't mind. You're arrogant."

"Listen, Donnie, if you don't want to do it just say it instead of sitting here and—"

"Though I guess I would rather have an arrogant leader than an unconfident one." Donnie stood and interrupted his brother, partly enjoying teasing him and partly punishing him for not even considering how insulting this request was. He took his time walking towards Leo and leaned on the desk beside him as he spoke. "You lead us into battles nearly every day. If you weren't arrogant you wouldn't be confident in your decisions and we would probably wind up dead. Is that what you're doing here? Using the skills you developed as a leader to make a decision based on your last resorts and best case scenarios?"

"Donnie—"

"I'll do it, Leo, but only because I want to see how this turns out for you. Matters of the heart can't be measured in beakers or examined under a microscope," Donnie said, motioning around his lab.

Once again, the look on Leo's face was grossly satisfying to Donnie. The way his eyes narrowed and how his teeth clenched let Donnie know he struck every nerve in his brother's body.

"This is just a game to you, then? One of your experiments?"

"Are you insulted? Then I guess we're even."

"I wasn't trying to insult you."

"Well, you did."

The electricity that sparked between them wasn't one of love or lust or excitement. They glared at one another as if they had been enemies their entire lives. Neither of them dared to say another word lest they break the fragile string of peace that was still between them. The tension boiled between them, slowly growing to the point where it was hard for them to even look at one another.

Then finally, Donatello let out a heavy breath.

"Enough," he said quietly, extending his hand towards Leo who titled his head. The tension broke between them as Donnie laughed at the confused look on his brother's face.

"Kiss my hand," Donnie told him.

"What?"

"You're my boyfriend now, right? For seven days at least. Glaring at one another isn't a good start to this relationship. Kiss my hand. It'll make both of us feel better. I think."

Leo's raised eyebrow didn't relax as he looked from Donnie's hand to his eyes. At first he didn't move. He stared at his brother, trying to read his face, his body language, his mind if he could, but there was nothing. Just a smile that was oddly comforting to Leo considering the situation. The sweet smile warmed Leo to the core and he swallowed hard as he took Donnie's hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. His lips hovered there for a bit and he raised his eyes to see Donnie's smile had grown even wider.

"That's better. We'll make this work for you somehow, Leo."

"Thanks, Donnie."

* * *

The day had gone by slowly for Leo. He spent all of it worrying about how Raph would react when he told him about him and Donnie. He wondered if he would care. If he would be jealous. If he would be happy for them or pretend to be happy for them. Raph was someone who was unpredictable and it was one of the reasons that Leo loved him. Nothing was ever static with Raph. Nothing was ever boring or repetitive or consistent. It was all adventure and action and passion. Leo admired him for his tenacity and strength and bravery and more things than Leo could even stop to think about. Raphael was perfect. Just perfect.

"What are you daydreaming about?"

Leo snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see Donnie standing over him. He felt a bit awkward seeing him. How was he supposed to act now that they were technically dating? More affectionate? More caring? Or perhaps he should remain exactly how he always was. People didn't change when they started to date or so he didn't think.

"Well?" Donnie sat on the couch beside Leo and curled up against him, leaning his head on his shoulder. He smiled at how the older one tensed up, but didn't say anything about it.

"I was thinking about Raph."

"You're supposed to be thinking about me."

"Am I?"

"Jerk. You're already bad at this. I thought I would be the awkward one when it came to romance."

Leo scoffed as he leaned back on the couch and relaxed his body. "I'm not exactly trying to romance you."

"You could at least pretend like you're in love with me. Raph will never buy it if you keep acting like this. Put your arm around me or something. How is it that I'm the one telling you how to be romantic?"

"Shut up." Regardless of his aggravation Leo wrapped his arm around Donnie and pulled him closer. So far they were the only two in the living room, but it was only a matter of time before Raph and Mikey joined them. Then they could tell them the news and hopefully get some sort of reaction out of Raph. In the meantime….

"Are you comfortable, Leo?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Liar."

Leo rolled his eyes, though he willed his body to relax. He prided himself on having full control over his body and emotions and he reminded himself of that as he took deep breaths to calm his nerves.

"It's not like you've never held me before, Leo."

"I know, but… Not like this."

"Don't think of it as being any different. You're just holding me."

"But Raph—"

"Will be jealous of the affection we're giving each other. So start working on making him jealous because here he comes."

The living room suddenly became louder when Mikey and Raph entered, chatting about who was going to beat who in the new game they were playing. The chatter only silenced when the two saw Leo and Donnie cuddling on the couch together.

"You two okay?" Raph asked, taking a seat on the opposite couch. "You sick or something, Donnie?"

"I guess you could say that," Donnie said with a grin. He placed a kiss on Leo's cheek before turning his eyes to Raph. "Leo and I are dating now so this will become a normal thing."

"What? Donnie, you weren't supposed to just say it!" Leo cried. Though while he was panicking over how his brother so bluntly broke the news to everyone he missed the jealous glint in Raphael's eye that Donnie was completely aware of.

"No way! When did this happen? Today? Yesterday? Have you guys been hiding it from me and Raph? Why didn't you say anything? We could have celebrated! How did it happen? Who asked who? Do you guys make out a lot? Have you guys… You know? Done the dirty?" Mikey's questions came to a halt only when Raph smacked him in the back of the head and forced him to sit down beside him. Still, it wasn't enough to stifle Mikey's enthusiasm. They all knew it was only a matter of time before one of them began dating another and now it finally happened. Mikey had his own suspicions that Leo and Donnie would be the ones to fall in love and he gave himself a pat on the back for being correct.

"You two are good for each other, I think. You'll be happy together! Leo, you're gonna take care of Donnie, right? He needs more affection than you know!"

Donnie shook his head. "I think it's Leo who needs the affection."

"I guess Raph and I will have to try to fall in love! Or maybe we'll find love somewhere else. You remember Renet? You think she would fall in love with me?"

"Maybe!" Donnie told him with a wide smile as he wrapped his arms around Leo's waist. "There's Leatherhead as well. You like him, don't you?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if I _like him_ like him, you know?"

The two younger brothers continued their pleasant conversation while Leo spoke with the true object of his affection. "And your opinion, Raph?" he asked, awkwardly rubbing Donnie's arm in an attempt to show his false love for Donnie as well as make Raph jealous. Though the response that came from the hot-headed turtle was not one that the Leo was hoping to hear.

"I'm happy for you," Raph told him. It didn't take long for whatever jealously Donnie had seen in him to disappear. "Mikey's right. You two are good for one another!"

"You think so?" Leo asked, and Donnie wondered if he was the only one who heard the disappointment in his voice.

The clever turtle rolled his eyes as he settled deeper in Leo's arms. He kept his attention on both his own conversation and Leo's, trying not to get sickened at his "lover's" attempts to pull some sort of jealous reaction out of Raph. Raph just wasn't that kind of person, and it shocked him to think that for as much as Leo claimed to love him he didn't seem to know him. Donnie wasn't concerned about the little bit of jealousy he had seen in the other turtle. He was more concerned about how his eldest brother would react when he realized this plan of his was destined to fail.


	2. Tuesday: Let Me Think

_"The art of conversation is the art of hearing as well as of being heard."_

 _\- William Hazlitt_

It was too difficult to focus. As hard as Leo tried he couldn't transport himself to a place of peace and tranquility like he usually could. His mind kept racing between his desire for Raph to notice him and his confusion at what he asked Donnie to do for him. He felt guilty and annoyed and he wished he had never bothered to come up with his stupid little scheme in the first place. In fact, he wished he had never developed feelings for Raph. If he could go back in time he would scream at himself to do his best to not fall for his hot headed brother. Loving Raph could only end in humiliation.

There was no point in trying to meditate. Instead, Leo went to the living room and watched old reruns of his favorite TV show, Space Heroes. He knew his time would have been better spent going to see Donnie in his lab, or training with Splinter, or helping Mikey cook dinner or something! Anything would have lifted his spirits more than just sitting there, but he couldn't bring himself to move. Ever since yesterday he had just felt lethargic and weighed down by his thoughts.

"Dammit," he muttered at the same time his hero, Captain Ryan, did.

"What's wrong with you?"

In his peripheral vision Leo could see Raph take a seat on the couch across from him. It seemed even his heart was feeling lethargic as it didn't pound in his chest like it normally did when he saw his crush. The steady pace of his unenthusiastic heart drove him to answer Raph's question with a lie. Where was the point in telling the truth when it was known Raph didn't press for answers like the others did. He was respectful enough to leave them alone when they didn't want to talk even if he could tell there was something on their minds.

"Nothing. I'm fine," Leo finally said with a deep sigh interrupting his words.

"If you say so."

And that was the end of that conversation. They sat in silence together, watching Captain Ryan go on another one of his wild adventures that always seemed to relate so well to the turtles' lives. Often times Leo thought to himself that if he could only be as strong and as brave and as smart as Captain Ryan, then he wouldn't be in the predicaments he sometimes found himself in. The situation he threw himself into with Donnie had already become more than he could deal with, and he just wished that he could reverse time and think of something to gain Raph's attention that wasn't so… Insulting.

"You know Donnie told me that a lot of modern day things were inspired by this show."

"What?"

Raph pointed to the screen. "See those automated doors? Donnie told me that today's automated doors were inspired by the ones on this show. He even said some type of medical device came from one that was in a few episodes. I think that's the main reason he likes Space Heroes. All the sciencey stuff."

"Oh." Leo looked at the screen, feeling even more proud of his favorite show in the entire galaxy. "I didn't even know that. That's pretty awesome."

"Isn't it? He said that's what makes this show science fiction and not sci-fi. Don't get him started on the differences between the two."

"There is a difference!"

"Dear God, I forgot you were a sci-fi nerd too."

Leo's chest puffed out and his laughter was bold and strong, much like his favorite space adventurer. "You got a problem with that?"

"Maybe I do!" Raph sat up straighter too, though even he faltered at Leo's slightly overbearing excitement. Still, a smile formed on his face as he felt the need to challenge his older brother. "You're clearly not enough of a sci-fi nerd if I actually forgot that you were one!"

"Pardon?"

"Name me three, just three, top science fiction writers and maybe I'll believe that you're a bigger sci-fi nerd than Donnie."

"Where do I even start? Do I start with Isaac Asimov and his _I, Robot_ and Foundation Series? Or should I go with William Gibson, the father of cyberpunk? Perhaps Richard Matheson and his famous tale, _I Am Legend_ , which by the way I've seen every movie remake of!" By this point Leo was standing and walking closer to his brother whose loud, obnoxious laughter at his brother's nerdiness couldn't be controlled. "Can we just talk about Ray Bradbury for a second too? Or maybe let's step out of the box and remember our amazing female science fiction writers like Mary Shelley and Octavia Butler! You come into my house and challenge my love of all things space related?"

"You're such a fucking nerd!" Raph screamed through his laughter and tears.

"You think Donnie is bad? Don't you dare get me started on the difference between science fiction and sci-fi!"

Leo swore that everyone could hear Raphael laughing as if this were the first time he had ever done it. Not that he cared. His arms and hands moved themselves as he teased Raph and poked him and hit him, acting as dramatic as possible as he defended his self proclaimed title of "science fiction nerd." It was only the defeated turtle's laughter that was Leo's eventual downfall. The disease was contagious and Leo found it hard to even speak as his words slurred together with laughter and eventually tuned into squeaky, high pitched yells as he attempted to continue his rant. He would have succeeded too had Raph not rolled onto the floor, gasping for air. Leo fell onto the couch were Raph had just been sitting and held his sides from the pain as he noisily tried to take in air.

The two had no idea how long they had been laughing together, but it hardly mattered. Neither could remember a time they had laughed so hard together, and Leo was secretly thankful for this wonderful moment. Not only did he get to spend time with the person he loved the most, but all of this fun and teasing and joking cleared his head of his distractions and thoughts.

Eventually their laughter died down and only small chuckles were left in the aftermath of their war.

"Are you feeling better then?" Raph asked, still trying to catch his breath.

Now it made sense. Raph had only been trying to get Leonardo to smile after sensing that he wasn't okay. Leo wished he could push down the feeling of love that swelled in his heart and coursed through his body, but it was impossible. The feeling was overwhelming and suffocating in the most beautiful of ways and it took control of him like it always did. If only he could find the courage to tell Raph that he loved him, to let him feel even just a portion of this overpowering love.

"Yeah. I'm feeling a lot better."

"Good. It's weird seeing you just mope around the lair like that." Raphael didn't want to push his brother into telling him what was on his mind, but he never liked seeing him like this. It was especially worrisome considering he and Donnie had just announced that they were together. It made him wonder why he was here instead of with Donnie and what could have brought on this sudden depression. He hoped they hadn't already gotten into a big fight or were tired of one another so soon. All he wanted was the best for his brothers, every single one of them, and he would do anything to make sure Donnie and Leo remained happy with one another.

With all their laughter set aside and the mood now cleared of any negativity or sadness, the two sat in an easy-going, calm silence. Regardless of how much they fought Leo always found Raph's presence calming. Things were never difficult with him. He may have pushed his buttons on the occasion, but that was his personality, and Leo didn't mind being kept on his toes every now and then.

"How are you and Donnie?"

"What?"

Raph snorted at Leo's quick and confused response. He shrugged his shoulders as his eyes stayed on his older brother. "I only thought that since the two of you just started dating you would want to spend a lot of time with him. You're just out here watching TV and I guess Donnie is in his lab. Don't you wanna see him?"

There was a hesitation in Leo's response. He leaned back against the couch and nodded in agreement, though his words contradicted his actions. "I didn't want to bother him. I'm never quite sure what he's doing in his lab and I don't know how he feels about company."

"I'd like to think that he wouldn't mind you being in there with him. In fact he only really ever gets annoyed when we're in there harassing him. He doesn't mind if we just chill out in there."

"I'll just stay here for a bit longer before seeing him."

"Alright." Raph didn't feel a need to push Leo any farther on the topic and Leo was grateful for it. It was only day two and Leo was already finding it hard to keep up this farce. Still, Raph backed down quickly and he was appreciative of that. For the next hour the two talked about TV and comics and video games. They compared their favorite characters, made fun of one another for having lame favorite characters, discussed theories on upcoming sequels to games or why a game that wasn't getting a sequel needed one. This was exactly what Leo liked. When it came to conversation Raph never challenged him. He never pushed him or bothered him or made him think too much. Raph was just… Easy. He was easy to be around and to talk to and it was just one reason why Leo cared so much for him. The easy conversation helped him relax. It took his mind off of his duties as a leader, his training, his plans, everything.

When it came to Raph everything was simple.

But even that would have to come to an end. Leo sighed when he realized that he would eventually have to keep up his act and visit Donnie in his lab. He wondered if his crush could sense how badly he wanted to stay here as opposed to go to his new boyfriend. Leo wasn't so ignorant that he didn't find his thought process harsh, but he couldn't help it. The object of his affection was right in front of him and he was being forced by his own scheme to leave him.

"Heading over to Donnie?" Raph asked when he saw Leo getting antsy.

"Yeah. Might as well. I don't want to leave him alone for too long." Leo finally stood and stretched, doing whatever he could to prolong his time with Raph.

"Make sure you ask him his opinion on science fiction versus sci-fi. He'll tell you there's a difference."

"I told you I already know the difference."

"Then you two nerds can talk about it together."

Leo gave his brother a smack against his head as he walked past him towards the lab. He didn't understand the feeling of dread that was sitting in his stomach. This was Donnie. It wasn't like he never talked to him before or typically felt awkward around him, but now, today, in this moment, he felt awkward. Strange. As if Donnie wouldn't react to him the way he normally did. Things were different now, weren't they? They were dating. What they did now and how they acted had to be different. They were no longer just brothers who could casually pass by one another without a word or just a simple hello. They had to talk about… Things. What things Leo didn't know, just things that people who dated talked about.

It was with all of his running through his mind that he slowly opened the doors to the lab and saw Donnie not experimenting or playing with gadgets, but reading a book. He glanced up only briefly and flashed Leo a smile before digging his nose back in the pages.

"Look who came to see me."

"Were you waiting for me?" Leo asked, closing the doors behind him.

"No. I knew you would either come see me late or not at all. You're not very dedicated to this relationship, are you?"

Leo rolled his eyes and didn't grace Donnie's words with a response. Instead he walked deeper into the lab, looking around at all the unfamiliar chemicals, the fun yet dangerous looking gadgets, the notes that were scrawled haphazardly on paper in oddly neat handwriting, poor Timothy, and the butterflies.

How had he never noticed the butterflies?

Leo steps were quiet as he made his way towards them, as if he would wake them if he were too loud. His eyes scanned over them while they rested in the glass case that was their coffin. There were only four them of various sizes and colors, but he found them beautiful, if not chilling. They were pierced with pins, their wings spread wide as if they were trying their best to take flight. Why examine the bodies of butterflies? Leo knew that Donnie was interested in all fields of science, including entomology, but he never saw Donnie delve too deep into it. Yet here was the proof in front of him. The remains of four beautiful butterflies.

"Monarch butterfly. Peacock butterfly. Tiger swallowtail butterfly. And my personal favorite: Milbert's Tortoiseshell. He's the small one." Donnie stood next to Leo and pointed to each butterfly as he said their names, clearly proud of his collection.

"That's a funny name for a butterfly."

"So are the other names, I think. Do they disturb you?"

Had Leo not found it disrespectful to chuckle in front of the dead, he would done it. "Not really."

Donnie's quick laugh didn't only annoy Leo, it let him know his brother didn't believe him. "You don't find me hoarding butterfly carcasses creepy?"

The claim to being creepy was amusing, but Leo only showed it with a small smile. "I guess if you look at it that way, sure. It's strange. But I don't care really. They're decorations now. Their souls are gone so what we do with the bodies ultimately doesn't matter. I think it's disrespectful to hold onto them like this, but I won't crucify you for it."

There was no immediate response from Donnie, and Leo panicked just for a moment. In that moment he had wondered if he offended Donnie, if he had said something terrible to him by speaking his opinion, and more importantly if he wouldn't continue playing along in his scheme with him. However, all of those thoughts were easily quelled when his brother finally spoke.

"So you think these butterflies have souls?"

"Had. They had souls. And yes. Everything has a soul."

Leo wasn't sure what to make of the smile Donnie gave him. The genius was clearly entertained and yet he seemed to be contemplating something as well, though when was he ever not?

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"The trees?"

"Yes."

"Flowers?"

"Yes."

"Insects?"

"Yes."

"Humans?"

"Especially."

"Mutants?"

"Us too, Donnie. We're no exception."

Donnie's smile never faltered as he made his way back to his desk and sat down. Leo followed, wondering why his brother was asking him these questions. As he took a seat on the other side of the desk it occurred to him that he never had a conversation like this with one of his brothers before. Thoughts and opinions on spirituality probably varied amongst all the turtles, but Leo didn't know how any of his brothers felt about the topic. He just assumed they all believed the same things he did, and Donnie would most certainly call him arrogant for thinking that. Splinter never forced them to believe one thing or another. He only guided them down a very wide path and let them pick their own directions. Perhaps because of his hard belief in science Donnie didn't believe in the presence of a soul.

"That saddens me."

"What does?" Donnie tilted his head at Leo's words that weren't directed at him. However, if someone had something to say in his laboratory, then he would always encourage them to say it.

"You don't believe in souls."

"Who said I don't?"

"What?"

Donnie's amused smile returned and he leaned back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other as he regarded his brother. "There was science experiment performed one time. It said that humans weigh twenty-one grams less at the moment of their death. Why do you think that is?"

Leo stared him in the eye and even he couldn't deny that he found Donnie's smile entertaining. Still, he said nothing and waited for his brother's answer.

"They say it's the weight of a soul, Leo."

"Weight of a soul?"

"Yeah. They say a soul weighs twenty-one grams so when a person dies the body will weigh that much less."

"And… You believe that?"

Donnie nodded. "Don't get me wrong. There's scientific proof that the theory is incorrect. But I'm a romantic. I like to believe such lovely things. What about you, Leo? Do you believe that?"

Donnie leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands, his eyes completely focused on his brother. Initially, Leo was taken aback by the serious focus Donnie had on him, and then he realized that it was nothing to be nervous about. In fact, this was all he ever wanted from his brothers. Attention. Interest. Focus. Whatever it was that was going to come out of Leo's mouth Donnie wanted to hear it. He wanted to hear every single word and Leo didn't think he could be more grateful.

"Well… I guess I do. I'm not sure. I'd like to believe that's true. I'd like to believe there's proof out there that a soul actually exists, but at the same time I don't need it. I believe that souls exist in every living creature and I don't need science to prove it for me."

"What if one of us, God forbid, dies and I prep the body and I realize that it doesn't twenty-one grams less? Would you want me to tell you that?"

Leo smiled, shrugged, and leaned in closer to his brother, also resting his chin on his hand with his eyes staring right into Donnie's. "I already told you I don't care. You could tell me if you want. It wouldn't hurt my feelings. I believe that a soul exists in every living thing regardless of how much a body weighs or not."

"Tell me more."

Leo hoped the shock he felt didn't show on his face. When had one of his brothers ever been this interested in discussing these kinds of things with him? Then again, when had he ever cared to share with them? "Well…. When a person dies the body is just an empty shell. If you were to die, Donnie, I would of course give you a proper burial, but ultimately it doesn't matter what happens to your body. Just like those butterflies."

"You'd put me on display?" Donnie asked with a smirk.

"What did I just say?" Leo laughed. "I'd give you a proper burial, but your soul has already moved on. It doesn't need your body anymore and neither would we. I'd miss you terribly, but I'd sleep well knowing that your soul is in a better place. This life we live… It's hard, Donnie. Life is hard enough as it is. April and Casey… They have their difficulties, but we can't even show our faces. We're lucky to have met them. We're lucky they haven't gone to the news or something about us. Anyone else… Who knows what might have happened? The hardest thing in this world is to live in it, and living wears down your body and soul. There are ways we can keep it strong, I think. Like meditation and relaxation and love. All of these things renew the soul and the body, but it's hard to contend with the difficulties of life. It goes on for as long as it can, but everyone becomes weary and eventually the soul makes it's escape. When the body can no longer carry the weight of a soul, the weight of a person, the soul will relieve it."

Donnie nodded slowly, then leaned back in his chair and regarded his brother for a few moments. He let the silence between them marinate before opening his mouth to speak his carefully chosen words.

"I think that's very poetic, Leo. It's a beautiful concept, one that I would expect you to have. It's not a bad thing that I expect it from you so don't give me that look. You've always been the most spiritual of us all. I actually really like your theory. I want to believe it and I know you could convince me if you tried hard enough. Your passion for the spiritual side of life is hard to deny and it's a journey I wouldn't mind taking with you. But I'm a scientist, and do you know what scientists do. They ask questions. And I have a question for you." He paused if only for dramatic effect to watch the nervousness etch into Leo's face. "You said love renews the soul and the body. Can it also wear them down? Particularly the soul? Like your relationship with Raph for example. He doesn't love you back, at least not yet. Does that wear your soul down?"

That wasn't a question Leo wanted to answer, and Donnie knew it. It was hard for Leo to think of an explanation, and eventually he didn't even bother to form one. He simply looked his brother in his eye as he had been this entire time and said, "Yes."

Leo hoped Donnie wouldn't press him about it anymore and he didn't. At least not too much.

"It's only because you're not a romantic. You don't go about courting Raph like you should. You're very calculating. Your desire for Raph shouldn't be made into a mission for you, Leo. It should be natural and easy."

And just like that the clever turtle had eased Leo into a conversation about his love for Raph without him even noticing the transition.

"Calculating?" Leo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. You plan everything out like the leader you are. In reality, though, this isn't your domain and you don't know how to navigate these tricky waters. It's why you called on me to help you. I like to think I know my brothers fairly well and I don't think that Raph is the jealous type. That's why he won't fall for this scheme of yours. However, you are the jealous type."

"What? No, I'm—"

"Yes, you are. So I am. Nothing to be ashamed of. That's just who you are. If someone were to come in here and started telling me, and Mikey, and Raph what to do and we listened, you would be very jealous. I think that's why you thought this plan of yours would work. You thought that you and Raph were the same, but you're not. Raph doesn't get jealous like you do. But it's alright." Donnie smiled as he stood and motioned for Leo for follow him. The two began heading towards the door, and while Leo didn't want their conversation to end he also didn't want Donnie to know that.

"You're a leader, Leo. It's your job to think of plans like this. You're only doing what you know how to do and I don't hold that against you. Now, I'm hungry so we're going to have to cut this conversation short. Still, I enjoyed talking to you."

"I guess… I enjoyed talking to you too, Donnie." Leo knew that statement was a rare thing for his brother to hear. Not that he considered Donnie socially awkward, but he wasn't the easiest person to talk to. His intelligence often got in the way of conversation and he could quickly grow impatient with whoever he was talking to, but this time was different. This wasn't an easy conversation by any means, but it was... Challenging. It worked Leo's brain and there wasn't a moment that he wasn't thinking. Learning about Donnie's thoughts and opinions was a plus, and he was grateful that someone was willing to listen to him rather than just blow him off. Deep conversations were hardly the norm in the lair, but Leo enjoyed every moment he had spent with Donnie today. He liked the challenge. He liked thinking. He liked defending his opinions in a tactful manner. An intelligent manner. This must have been something Donnie craved too.

Leo would definitely engage him again.

Another time for that, though. Leo was far too focused now on the kiss Donnie had placed on his cheek.

"I'm glad to hear that. Give me a kiss, Leo. Start being a better boyfriend."

Leo didn't appreciate the critique of his romance, but he ignored it and returned the kiss with a peck of his own.

"Nu uh. My lips, Leo. I told you to start being a better boyfriend. So start."

Leo was surprised by Donnie's abruptness, though he didn't understand why. This was Donnie. He was abrupt wth everyone, but this felt different. It was unusual for Leo to not be fully in control of what he was doing. It was unusual for him to not understand a situation especially when he placed himself in it. It was a feeling that he didn't like and yet he felt comfortable with Donnie taking the lead. So he took the best course of action. He obeyed. He did as he was told in hopes of improving this plan he had laid out.

He closed his eyes, leaned forward, and gently brushed his lips against Donnie's. He liked the surge that shot through him when their lips touched. It was quick, yet powerful. It made his legs shake, it emptied his mind, it made him want to focus on no one but Donnie. The feeling was one he had never experienced before and he wanted it again and again, it was gone as quickly as it had come. He asked himself why he didn't just do it again. He tried. He tried to push his body forward, to purse his lips, to take Donnie in his arms and kiss him like he deserved, but he didn't. He couldn't.

"Next time I hope I don't have to ask, Leo."

Donnie winked at him as the doors to his lab opened. He stepped through them with Leo following behind, only after taking one last glance at the butterflies still encased in glass. He bowed his head, quietly thanking them for helping him connect with Donnie, then shut the doors, leaving their soulless bodies behind.


End file.
